Cougars Enroll Five Football Prospects

Washington State coach Mike Price, looking to shore up a nationally ranked defense that is losing nine senior starters, Thursday signed two juniorcollege defensive players.

Shad Hinchen, a 6-foot, 175-pound defensive back and return specialist, and 6-5, 255-pound defensive end David Evans enrolled at WSU for the spring semester.

Three new offensive players also have enrolled: James Curtis, a 6-foot, 205-pound running back from San Diego State; Michael Jackson, a 6-3, 240-pound tight end from Santa Monica (Calif.) High; and Jon Ottenbreit, a 6-5, 225-pound offensive lineman from Cheney High.

Hinchen was named to the All-Mission Conference first team during his two years at Saddleback Junior College in California. During his sophomore season, he had a pair of 100-yard returns and made 63 tackles.

He averaged 27.8 yards per kickoff return and 22.7 yards on punt returns.

Evans had 50 tackles and seven sacks last season at Phoenix Junior College.

Curtis, one of the nation’s top high school running backs in 1993, rushed for 2,068 yards and scored 26 touchdowns as a senior. In his rookie season at San Diego State, he rushed for 88 yards on 22 carries.

Jackson and Ottenbreit each signed letters of intent last year but were academically ineligible, according to Linda Keck of the WSU sports information office. During Ottenbreit’s senior year, he was named to the AllFrontier League first team on offense and defense.